Bottle-closure.



F. K. PLYMPTON.

BOTTLE CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1. 1909.

- Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

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o arney untrue eraus PATENT oration .FREDERIC K. PLYMPTON, 0F WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 PLYMIPTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

. 'rorrm-crosumi.

Specification of Iietters Patent. Patented New, 9, 1915,

Application filed-July 1, 1909. Serial no, 565,405.

ing bottles and jars containing milk and,

cream, by means of disks of paper-material pressed down within the mouths of such bottles and jars into place in connection with seats that are formed within such mouths, by reason of the fact that waste milk, dirt,

pieces of ice, and water, become lodged in the open spaces above such'disks, anddrop into the contents of the bottles when the disks are withdrawn, thereby contamlnatlng the said contents. The disks are diflicult of removal, and attempts at removal are attended often by the ejection and'loss of por-' tionsof the contents, sometimes in jets or streams which spurt out upon ones clothing and upon the surroundings.

Various attempts have been-made to provide caps or closures adapted to completely inclose and cover the mouth of a bottle or jar, but none of such caps or closures heretofore proposed has gone into general or extensive use Dealers in milk cannot afford to use closures, or will not, unless able to procure them at an exceedingly low cost, the cost, for instance, in the case of the simple disks aforesaid being a very few cents per thousand. For Such reason, and others, it is not practicable to use sheet-metal closures of the character employed for bottles containing beer and other beverages. Such closures require a special instrument for their removal. The large size of the mouth of a milk-bottle or jar precludes the use of caps or covers composed of sheet metal or other comparatively expensive materials, especially if the cost of manufacture be increased by the addition of cork or other packing to avoidleakage. The problem which I have aimed to solve by my present invention, therefore, has been to adopt an efficient simple construction free from the drawbacks of the disks aforesaid, easy of removal without the employment of special instruments, containing only low-priced materials, inexpensive to make, and capable of being supplied to milk-dealers at a small price per thousand. My cap or closureis, of flange-type, the flange fitting around the exterior of therim of the mouth of the bottle or jar, and claspingthe said exterior.

The invention resides more particularly in a cap or cover formed of non-metallic material, and having the flange thereof constructed to enable the same to expand slightly as the cap or cover is applied by forcing the flange downward outside the rim, and to then contract so as to take secure hold.

The invention consists, essentially, in a milk-bottle cap or cover of inexpensive paper-material, stiffened cloth, or other suitable non-metallic material, having a resilient flange, which may be of reduced inside dlameter at the free edge thereof, although this reduction in diameter is not necessary in all'embodiments of the invention, such flange having imparted thereto sufiicient stiflness to enable it to be forced down into place upon the exterior. of the rim of the mouth of a I milk-bottle or ar, by means of an elastic constrictive reinforcing band. The said band strengthens and stiffens the flange so as to enable it to be forced down into place around the bottle mouth without collapsing or crushing. In addition it gives increased elasticity to the flange so that'it will expand sufliciently to pass down over the rim of the bottle orjar and then contract to clasp properly its seat upon the exterior of the bottle mouth. The said cap or cover fits over and entirely covers the mouth of the bottle or jar, and the flange extends down around the rim, clasping with resilient action the periphery of the latter, so that when the cap or cover is in place said mouth is completely protected and there is no pocket or space within the mouth,- open above, to receive and hold waste milk, drippings of water, particles of ice and dirt, and germs, in readiness to drop into the bottle or ar on the removal of the cap or cover, to impair the con- .tents, as is the case when the ordinary diskflange of the cap or. cover spreads or expands -in being applied as it is forced down past the rim and the said bead, and it contracts below the bead or into the said groove, and

distance below the top, the free edge of the v Fig. 2 shows in vertical section the upper portion of a bottle, with the said cap or cover applied thereto. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a cap or cover like that of Figs. 1 and 2, but having a slitted flange. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a cap or cover having a constrictive reinforcing band composed of a flat. strip of spring material. Fig.5 is an elevation of a cap or coverhaving a band composed of a corrugated strip of metal. Fig. 6 is a view in horizontal section on line 6, 6, of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an elevation of a cap or cover having a band of metal applied to the outside of its flange, the ring and flange both being corrugated. F igl 8 1s a view of the lower edge of the cap or cover of Fig. 7.

Having reference to the drawings,-the neck-portion of'a milk-bottle is shown at 1, in Fig. 2. The cap or cover in which the invention is embodied is shown at 2. The

body-portion of the said cap or cover is of a diameter to cover the top of the rim of the mouth of the milk-bottle. The depending flange of the cap or cover is marked 3. The inward taper or contraction of the said flange toward its free edge is shown in Figs. 1 to 5, and 7. At'4, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is a constrictive reinforcing band, applied to the exterior of the said flange as aforesaid. This band is composed of cloth, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to. 3, although a strip of suitable paperis employed by me in some instances instead of cloth, and in the said figures it is attached to the exterior of the flange by adhesive material. The exterior bead or swell of the mouth-portion of the bottle is designated 5, its upper portion being rounded, and 6 is an annular depression or groove around the neck just below the said bead or swell.

The interior diametrical measurement of the cap or cover at the lower edge of the flange thereof may be slightly less than the extreme diameter of the bead or'swell, as in the drawings. A cap or cover embodying the invention is intended to require a little force to be exerted upon the cap or cover in pressing it upon the mouth-portion of the bottle. -As such force is applied, pushing the cap or cover downward, the roundedupper portion of the bead or swell expands the lower portion of the flange, sufficiently to permit such portion to pass down below the largest diameter of the bead or swell, whereupon the free edge of the flange contracts upon the lower portion of the head or swell, or into the groove or depression below the bead or swell. The flange then clasps around the bead or swell tightly, as

shown in Fig. 2, and securely holds the cap or cover in place. On the proper application of sufficient force in the direction to lift the cap or cover from the bottle-mouth, the flange stretches or expands so as to permit it to be drawn upward past the bead or swell, enabling the removal of the cap 1 or cover to be readily eifectedat will. The cap or cover .may subsequently be replaced.

Below the groove or depression 6 the neckportion of the bottle may be enlarged in diameter at 7, forming a shoulder which projects outward farther than -"-the bead or swell, and also somewhat bey'qrgd 'the flange of the cap or cover when the latter is in place. The purpose of this is to furnish a handhold to support the bottle without danger of slipping when the neck is taken hold of in lifting the bottle, and to safeguard neck-portion while clasping the latter. The i said enlargement shields the flange of the cap or cover by causing the fingers to pass up outside of the flange, usually without contact with the latter.

The inward contraction of the flange is advantageous in that it provides for more effectually holding the flanged caps or covers to the mouth-portions of the bottles to which they are applied in being used; and without the elastic constrictive reinforcing band the flanges of the different caps or covers would lack, the requisite elasticity and the capacity to contract after being ex- 'panded in passing over the beads .or swells of such mouth-portions.

When the cap or cover 1s composed of heavy or stiff material the flange may be slitted as at 2*, 2, 2 in Fig. 3 to facilitate expansion of the same in being applied to the mouth of a bottle.

The constrictive band may be composed of a strip of spring metal, as at 4* in Fig. 4, which is bent around the flange and secured thereto by punching portions of the metal into the flange, as at 4", 4 The ends of the strip are left unconnected with each other, so that the band constitutes in effect a split ring and is free to expand and contract.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a band 4 of corrugated spring metal secured to the flange by punching portions of the band into the flange, as at 44 4. In this case the band stretches in part by the straightening out of the corrugations, and afterward contracts. The meeting ends of the band are shown at 4.

' Figs. 7 and 8 show a band of metal 4 1 my invention at a very low price, While closures composed of metal would be impracticable on account of the large amount of material required in a single closure, and the prohibitive high price.

It will be observed that in all the forms of the invention herein shown the band is composed of a flat strip of material and lies upon the outer surface of the flange of the cap.

What is claimed is 1 1. A bottle closure comprising a flanged cap of flexible non-metallic material having combined with its depending flange a wide elastic band which stiffens said flange vertically to enable it to be forced down into place around the bottle mouth without crushing, allows it to expand in passing over an enlargement of the bottle-mouth,

and constricts it around its seat upon the bottle-mouth.

2! A bottle closure comprising a flanged cap of flexible non-metallic material having combined with its depending flange an elastic flat strip of metal which constitutes a vertical stiffening forsaid flange enabling it to be pushed down into place around the bottle-mouth Without collapsing, the said band constructed to allow the said flange to expand in passing over an enlargement of the bottle-mouth, and to constrict the flange around its seat upon the bottle-mouth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa= 'ture in presence of two witnesses.

K.- PLYMPTON. 

